50° 31’S 166° 17’E

Christmas morning dawns and we are at anchor in Port Ross, just off of Enderby Island. Enderby is the northernmost island in the Auckland group, and is free from the cats, pigs, and mice that inhabit the main island. Since rabbits, cattle, and mice were eradicated from Enderby in the 1990’s, the megaherbs are making a resurgence, and some of the more vulnerable wildlife thrives. We are met at the landing by a pair of Auckland Island Flightless Teal – sweet little ducks with vestigial wings that inhabit both freshwaters and the intertidal zone.

A boardwalk stretches up over the top of Enderby island, but it’s a low-lying island formed from basaltic lava flows, so it’s an easy walk to the megaherb fields. After a particularly insistent male New Zealand Sea lion interrupts our on-shore briefing we’re off into the scrub, as Southern Royal Albatross soar overhead and it begins to rain.

The weather is mild though, no howling gales to reverse the waterfalls that tumble over the northern cliffs today. Which is just as well, because we’re embarking on a hike that circumnavigates the island, following the coast and dipping into the twisted Southern rātā (Meterosideros umbellata) forest. What better way to spend Christmas day than a 12km hike following Santa around Enderby?

One of the first things you learn about Enderby Island is that there are New Zealand Sea lions everywhere. On the beach, yes, in the breeding colony. But also through the megaherb fields up along the north coast cliffs – quite a long way from the sea. The males can get a bit excitable at this time of year as well – all the ones who have been beaten off the beach by the beachmasters are scattered about the island, too small to claim any mating rights. There’s also the odd female who has escaped the beach to get some peace from the beachmasters, wandering around the fields or the rātā forest. This might sound a little dangerous for those of us embarking on a walk around the island, but 90% of the time, they’re just a little bit curious. The key is to look big and not run away when they come charging up to you (easier said than done), and if they look nibbly, to put something between you and them – like a bag or a hiking pole, or even a camera!

Enderby is home to a number of nesting seabirds, the most conspicuous being the Southern Royal Albatross that make the peaty fields along the top of the island their home. There are also Northern Giant petrels, whose massive, fluffy, grumpy-looking chicks we often found hiding in the vegetation, and Light-mantled Sooty albatross along the northern cliffs. Less conspicuous are the burrowing seabirds like White-headed petrel  and Diving petrels, and the only sign we had of them was in the gruesome discards found around Skua nests.

Despite the chill rain, everything is quite overwhelming. The warm honey scent of the megaherbs wafts up as we wind through gardens along the cliff edge. Pipits and Tomtits flutter underfoot, and every now and then a Banded dotterel scuttles away into the foliage. We pick our way through slowly, taking photos at every opportunity – probably too slowly – as we’re soon at the back of the group and being dragged along by Alex, who is looking after the tail end of the hiking group. The rain increases as we make our way to Derry Castle reef, and we stop very briefly for a wet bite of lunch before heading off again – a little less slowly.

 There are a lot of distractions along the way – Red-crowned Parakeets nibbling on flowers and grass, Auckland Island Shags checking us out from their cliffside nests. It makes for slow hiking and great photography! Eventually the rain turns into occasional showers with warm sun in between, which makes the day even better. The sea pops a ridiculously bright blue, and we make our way through tussocky mounds and long grass towards the rata forest.

And how could I forget the mysterious inhabitants of the rātā forest – Yellow-eyed Penguins! The shyest of penguins, they nest in hollows tucked out of sight and wind their little penguin-paths through the forest to the sea. While often difficult to spot, we can hear their braying calls and stumble across a few as we make our way through the twisted trees. Like little industrious gnomes, they waddle through the dense understory, to and from the ocean to feed their growing chicks.

It’s chick season for the Yellow-eyed penguins, and we find a parent standing guard over two rather large, fluffy grey chicks. They blend in so well to the dark tree-hollow, but I catch a glimpse of a beady little eye peeking through a bend in the trunk. The chicks are even more gnome-like than their parents, and charming with floppy flippers and fuzzy grey down. We take a few pictures but keep our distance and stay quiet, long lenses coming in handy to photograph these birds in their sun-dappled forest home.

There are also familiar faces in the forest, and song too. Korimako and Tūī chase about the canopy, letting rip with melodious voices. The Auckland Island subspecies of Tomtit flutters up and down, from tree trunk to leaf litter. The forest is alive with sounds, jewel-bright greens, and the comings and goings of vibrant bird-life.

Once we escape (unwillingly) the twisted grasp of the rātā forest, we find ourselves on the shore once more. White lichen-encrusted rocks tumble down to the sea, and the sun makes a few appearances (and disappearances) as we make our way back to Sandy Bay. There’s still no shortage of wildlife, with more penguins, Skua parents and chicks, and even a few more Auckland Island Shags to keep us company. This slows our progress considerably, but we have to make the most of every moment.

The going gets a little tougher when the tussock is up to my chest, but it’s a beautiful walk. As we make our way through stunted forest and over streams, Light Mantled Sooty albatross skim overhead, keeping an eye on us. We are the last back, of course, barely having time to pack camera gear before leaping back on to the last zodiac returning to the ship.

After dinner we watch as the light plays across the bay and the distant hills of Auckland Island, golden beams illuminating patches against the deep blue of heavy clouds.

And that’s Christmas.

Of course we’d had a great dinner once we’d got back to the ship, but I can’t tell you what we ate. I was still busy processing the day I’d just had – a massive, wonderful one that left me simply in awe. The fierce joy of wild places was singing in my head, and though we were anchored in still waters, it took me a long long time to fall asleep.

Want to see more photos from Enderby Island? Check out Dave’s trip report here!

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